


Darius' Master Plan

by Nemesis (ThetaSigma), ThetaSigma



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, post-ep Screwed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 21:54:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6346810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThetaSigma/pseuds/Nemesis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThetaSigma/pseuds/ThetaSigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Braden and Darius dig up dirt on John, who has an answer, but a slip of the tongue gets Darius thinking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Darius' Master Plan

John entered the prison interview room to find Braden and Darius waiting. He was annoyed, but he didn’t show it, coming off as confident. “I’d wondered when you’d get to me,” he said, standing near the gate.

Braden indicated the chair. “Have a seat, Detective.”

“I’ll stand, thanks. What do you want with me? You certainly didn’t give my colleagues the courtesy of a heads-up before you sandbagged them.”

“Well, in your case, Detective, we’re willing to be… discreet,” Braden said, pulling a file out of his briefcase.

“Of course, just out of the goodness of your heart,” John said dryly. “You do what you want, I’m out of here.”

Darius spoke up. “I’m sure you don’t want this floating around, Detective. It’s pretty damaging. Don’t you at least want a look?”

John raised an eyebrow. “I know perfectly well there’s nothing in my file to threaten me with, you piece of scum. But sure, wow me.”

Braden slid the file over to him and John opened it to find that fucking nude photo. 

“So you dug this up,” John said, shutting the file again. “It’s a matter of public record already. Have a good day.”

“I don’t think the public would react well to a cop with a marijuana leaf tattoo,” Darius said snidely. “What we want from you is simple.”

“That’s blackmail, and Braden, you should know better as an officer of the court.”

“It’s a deal, not blackmail,” Braden protested. “Cops and lawyers make deals all the time. This time, we have the upper hand. Or do you _want_ everyone knowing an NYPD officer has a drug-related tattoo?”

John rolled his eyes. “It was _body paint_ , you unbelievable imbecile.”

“You’ll excuse us if we don’t believe that,” Darius laughed.

John pulled his shirt up. “See? I don’t _have_ that tattoo.” He kept his mouth shut about the tattoo he _did_ have, the one on his upper arm, one that matched Fin’s tattoo. “You release that, and I’ll do the same in front of cameras. Your stunt won’t do much then. You may have the whole squad twisting, especially my Fin, but you can’t lay a finger on me.” He didn’t notice his slip-of-tongue.

He turned and slammed on the gate, calling for a guard to open it, completely missing the conniving look that passed between Braden and Darius.

*** 

Darius sat on that information for a bit, considering what to do with it. It was a delightful extra nail in Fin’s coffin, and he was determined to use it as explosively as possible. 

Sitting quietly in his cell, Darius plotted. He would definitely drop this bombshell on Fin’s family and workplace – if he knew Fin at all, Fin hadn’t sat a word about it to anyone. A devious, nasty smile crossed his face. The meeting with Munch hadn’t gone how he’d expected, but it’d been much more fruitful than his wildest dreams.

And with this, he’d get Munch, too. Took two to tango, after all.

*** 

Darius’ first meeting was with Terry. His lawyer had cautioned him he couldn’t have an ex-parte conversation with a prosecution witness, so he was careful – no need to tank his case. 

Terry looked terrified as he approached her in the courthouse, but there were court officers with him. It wasn’t a private conversation.

“I’m not talking to you, Darius,” she said, backing away.

“I just want to let you know your cop ex has moved on,” he said quietly.

“What do I care?” she demanded. “He was bound to eventually. Leave me alone!”

“With a man,” Darius added. “His partner, Detective Munch.”

Terry choked back a sob and stormed away. Darius grinned. He wished he could be there for the confrontation between those two, but he’d just have to imagine it. If only he could ruin the relationship itself. Maybe all the stresses he was about to place on Fin would do the trick.

*** 

His next conversation was with Ken, and he knew exactly what angle to play here.

“You know how your father doesn’t approve of you being gay? That man’s a fucking hypocrite. He’s been sleeping with his partner.”

Ken shocked him by shrugging. “I know. He told me couple years ago. When I told him I was gay, he first didn’t react really, then next day or maybe the day after, he told me about him and John. John’s a good guy, Darius.”

Darius frowned, but he held his tongue. It was rare that Ken defended his father and if he _was_ , there was nothing that was gonna change Ken’s mind.

*** 

But the coup d’etat he had planned came later. Darius recalled Fin to the stand.

“Objection!” Novak said immediately. “Detective Tutuola has been questioned thoroughly by the defense. What more could they possibly ask?”

“Further incidents have come to our attention. His credibility as an officer and thereby a witness is at stake here, as we have been contending,” Darius answered. 

“I’ll allow it,” the judge said. “Detective Tutuola?”

Fin sighed and came to the front of the courtroom, wondering what bullshit his stepson had dug up to smear him now. 

Darius considered him for a moment, then asked, “Are you single, Detective?”

“ _Objection_!” Novak cried, leaping to her feet. “Detective Tutuola’s private life has no bearing on this case _or_ on his credibility.”

“I submit it does, and I can show he’s been systemically and consistently lying to his supervisors for years. As I’ve said, it goes to credibility – especially his insubordination.”

“I’ll allow it, but tread carefully, Mr. Parker. I’m giving you some latitude here, but I will shut you down if you stray too far. Do you understand, Mr. Parker?”

“Yes, sir.”

The judge turned to Fin. “Answer the question, Detective.”

Fin sighed and fiddled with his necklace, a gift from John. “No, I’m not.”

“And _who_ are you in a relationship with?”

Fin cleared his throat and said with a confidence he didn’t feel, “My partner, Detective John Munch.”

A murmur ran through the courtroom. John smiled tightly at Fin.

“How long have you been in a relationship with Detective Munch?”

“Almost eight years. And before you ask, yes, it’s serious.”

“And, Detective Tutuola, do your supervisors know about this?” Darius asked triumphantly.

Fin leaned forward, speaking directly into the microphone and looking Darius dead in the eye. “My commanding office, Captain Cragen, has known about our relationship since we moved in together seven years ago. We have made no effort to hide our relationship from the brass, and our partnership has been evaluated before to make sure it does not interfere with our jobs.”

The judge banged his gavel several times. “Mr. Parker, I have given you considerable latitude with this line of questioning, but you’ve done nothing but publicly out two detective and prove nothing. You’re _done_ , Mr. Parker. Detective, you may step down, with this court’s sincerest apologies.”

Fin nodded and headed over to John. John took his hand and laced their fingers together, hiding their hands on the bench between them. 

“The novelty will die down soon,” John said softly to Fin.

“How did Darius find out?” Fin said. “Did Ken say something?”

John shrugged. “We’ll probably never know. Are you ashamed?”

“You know I ain’t, but this was not how I intended for it to come out to all and sundry, John.”

*** 

“So it’s true,” Terry gasped to Fin in the hallway.

Fin nodded. “Yeah.”

“And you couldn’t be man enough to tell me yourself? I had to find out like _this_?”

“Terry, this was never about you. You didn’t want anything to do with me after the divorce. I respected that. Would you tell me if you were dating another man?”

“I’d tell you if I started shacking up with a woman!” she snapped. “Were you ever into me, Fin? Did you ever love me? Were you even attracted to me?”

Fin looked at her tenderly. “I did, Terry. But we didn’t work out, you and me.”

“How can you be into a man now?”

Fin shrugged. “John’s special. I was never totally straight, and we’re good together.” He glanced over at his waiting lover, and his face softened.

“You really love him, don’t you?” Terry said. “I know that look, Fin.”

“Yeah, I do.”

She smiled sadly at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Don’t fuck it up, Fin. You don’t often get a second chance.”

Fin smiled at her. “You okay, Terry?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I am. You look happy, Fin.”

“I am. Not quite right now, not with this shit-show of a trial, but overall, yeah.”

Terry walked off, and John wandered over to Fin. “That was more civil than any of my discussions with any of my ex-wives.”

“Eh, we have a kid together,” Fin said. “That changes things.” He took John’s hand, figuring everyone knew after Darius’ stunt and he could use the comfort of John’s presence right now. “Let’s go home. I want to forget all about my family drama for a while.”

“I have some ideas on how to do that,” John said, leading Fin out of the courthouse.


End file.
